Introduction to Baladi Tutorial for IBDT

Are you new here? Or have no idea what is going on and are overwhelmed by all the posts? Or want to revisit a past tutorial, practice video or post. Do not panic. You will find video descriptions, and a master list of all Introductory belly dances posts here in this post by just clicking this link. This list is updated and reposted at the start of each month so you can always find all previous content in one place:)
https://www.patreon.com/posts/34809865


Hello Beautiful Dancers!
Thank you for joining me again (and for your endless patience while I try to get things loaded).
Covid 19 is presenting a variety of challenges for people, a major one it has presented for me in my geographic area is a notable lack of reliable internet connectivity. I greatly appreciate your patience while I sort out (and sit in the driveways and on the decks of family/friends with reasonable wifi trying to get stuff loaded and posted lol).
As it's taken so long to get stuff loaded I will just update the last list for the start of May once I get all of April's posts up.

Oh, Baladi! Aka Beledi (I have also seen it spelled the 2 following ways, beladi and baledi but the 2 formerly listed ways are certainly the most common ways.

Baladi considered by many as the heartbeat of bellydance. In addition to what I talk about in the video, if you are interested in knowing more about Raks Baladi, I recommend checking out the following links.

http://ibelieveindance.net/index.php/en/2020/04/02/the-egyptian-baladi-or-the-true-musical-soul-of-the-people/#.XqFCAL1hq4k.facebook

As I mentioned in the video the Wikipedia page even has it going on :)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baladi

If you are like me, and you learn best visually then a great way to get a feel for Baladi, is to watch those with a feel for Baladi:)

I have compiled a list and I hope your internet is reliable and you are able to enjoy some of these Baladi dances.

I think if you said "Fifi Abdou is the Queen of Baladi" no one would argue with you. She is no doubt an Egyptian dance icon and figurehead. In my personal opinion she personifies Baladi style dance. The effortless power of her hill work, her exuberant personality, her charisma and her, never overdone but always engaging musicality. Baladi is not rooted in perfection, but rather in connection.

Here she is the white Galabaya style shirt dress I mentioned. Notice how she is communicating with the musicians about the music and involving her audience. Exquisite. https://youtu.be/I7opiTZO47g

Here is Fifi in another Baladi dress version (not the best video due to how it was shot/ edited but still useful to see the costuming and styling).
https://youtu.be/gzXOqqLEVQY

Here is a great example of the musicians and their music having a nice long intro before the dance comes out. And When the Orchestra kicks in, Fifi comes out. One thing I truly love about this performance is that I always felt that before she really started dancing with her body , she was already dancing with her energy and expression. Also another variation of Baladi style costuming. No scarf, and a headress.
https://youtu.be/1nUqK5wLiME


Tito is also an Egyptian dancer known for his Baladi styling (he is also a great teacher. I have had the pleasure of attending a couple of his workshops over the years and highly recommend that if you ever get the chance to learn with him you should take advantage of it if you can.
Tito Baladi
https://youtu.be/iWHtI62rZls

Nada el Masrya is an Egyptian dancer based out of Toronto, Ontario Canada who specializes in Baladi and folkloric styles. She brings so much flirtation, energy, character and joy to her performances. You can see some of her signature Baladi styling here.
Not this costume has a heavily embellished bra and hip area of the dress. So beautiful. This is less traditional and more of a stage modification.
https://youtu.be/kaSq6xKD7ac

Here you can enjoy Baladi with a live band, a wonderful performance again by Nada, and this time in those stripes I mentioned in the video. This costuming is a blend of traditional styling and stage-y embellishments. Also does this song sound familiar? It's a famous Baladi song, Baladi Ya Wad, the video up above of Fifi in all purple the musicians there are also performing that song.
https://youtu.be/DrxTZ7DUf28

Here is another costuming example, along with a performance to an accordion Baladi progression by Nada.
https://youtu.be/fW0nzxJb6vY

Here is an example of another variation in Baladi costuming (note the long split sleeves). Also note that she opened with a mejance and then went into Baladi :) This dancer, Katerina Shereen, is from the Czech Republic I believe. She is also an excellent teacher if you ever get the opportunity to learn from her. She is known for her elegance and subtle nuance in her dancing. Also note how her energy and styling change as she shifts from the mejance to the Baladi.
https://youtu.be/T21FIeuLZLc

So I hope you enjoyed these examples. Do you have a favourite Baladi video or Baladi style dancer? Share with us in the comments:)

See you next time for Baladi Practice Video #1.

Thank you so much for your support and for choosing to learn with me. Hope you are all safe and well, and coping however you need to during this time.